Fantasia '19 Film Review - The Purity of Vengence

Dutch author Jussi Alder-Olson wrote a series of crime novels that focus on Department Q  investigating cold cases in Copenhagen. The Purity of Vengeance originally titled Journal 64, is the fourth in the series to make it to the big screen. Nikolaj Lie Kaas and Fares Fares reprise their roles as hard-nosed sympathy lacking straight to the point cop Carl Morck and his positive, reliable, warm Syrian born partner Assad. Here the case is one for ages, construction workers knock down a false wall in a vacated apartment to find three bound mummified corpses sitting around a table having tea. The perpetrator wanted this scene to be known but proves exceedingly hard to track down.

Slickly packaged, stylishly presented with a driving bass filled soundtrack lurking below the action the film tells an unflinching story of abuse and anti-immigrant activity that borders on social cleansing. The story starts in 1961 when Nete (Fanny Bornedal) is sent to Sprogo island an institution for troubled girls because she is in love with her cousin and will not let it go. There she meets head Dr. Wad who has some disturbing practices that harken back to the Nazis controlling nurse Gitte (Luise Skov) and is paired with sex-crazed roomie Rita (Clara Rosager). The three terrorize Nete during her stay leaving her with scars that will last for a lifetime.

Skip forward to the present Dr. Wad is thriving as the proprietor of the leading fertilization clinic in Copenhagen.  He has strong political links as he has helped prominent Danes achieve pregnancy later in life. However, some of his old theories might still be in practice and it's up to Kaas and Fares to prove the case and make it stick.

The Purity of Vengence is any enjoyable film that feels too condensed and would benefit from the longer format that the small screen could provide. Although the fourth in a series the film stands on its own meaning viewers need not search out the prior three to follow along. The three Q Department leads Kass, Fares and do it all Rose (Johanna Louise Schmidt) are very comfortable in their roles being more like sparing siblings then work colleagues. It's a captivating story that could easily be ripped from today's headlines which is believable and chilling both at the same time.

*** Out of 4.

The Purity of Vengence | Christoffer Boe | Denmark /Germany | 2018 | 119 Minutes.

Tags: Cold Case, Institution for Girls, Conspiracy Theory, Secret Society, Pregnancy, Abortion, Forced Sterilization, Henbane